US Home Office | Argentina | Bolivia | India | Kenya | Nicaragua | Uganda
Mireille Cronin Mather | Executive Director
With more than a decade working in International Development, Mireille has supported programs in 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with field work in a dozen. She has 15 years' management and leadership experience in the non-profit and private sectors, from community-based to international policy levels. Prior to joining FSD, Mireille was a director at iOWH, a non-profit pharmaceutical company funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a team leader for USAID’s flagship child survival project (BASICS). She has also consulted for several international development organizations and domestic public sector programs, and worked in federal legislative advocacy. She has a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from VPI&SU. You can reach Mireille at mireille@fsdinternational.org.
Juliana Matson | Operations Officer
Juliana recently received a M.A. in International and Development Economics from University of San Francisco. During this time she traveled to Ethiopia as an Attachment Associate for International Livestock Research Institute. Juliana’s specific interests include ecological economics and climate change, particularly the impact of climate change on agriculture. Before returning to school, Juliana enjoyed a successful 11 year career in capital markets and investment banking. She also spent over three years in public accounting. She has a M.B.A. from Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and a B.S in Accountancy from University of San Diego. Juliana was on the board of FSD as Treasurer from 2007 to early 2009. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family. You can reach her at juliana@fsdinternational.org.
David Andrusia | Marketing & Communications Officer
After serving as head of marketing for the home entertainment division of New Line/Time-Warner, David happily plunged into the nonprofit film festival world. He was managing director of the Beverly Hills Film Festival and served as CMO and programming director at the Silver Lake and Downtown L.A. Festivals before joining the international Artivist Film Festival, commended by the United Nations and Claes Nobel. There, he worked with more than 80 domestic and international NGOs bringing public attention to the issues of human and animal rights, international child welfare, and environmental protection. David earned his bachelor’s at Columbia, including a year in a degree program in modern languages at the Sorbonne, followed by a master’s in communications and marketing at Penn’s Annenberg and Wharton Schools. He speaks French, German, Italian, Spanish, and tries his best at Portuguese. He is the author of 12 books, including Brand Yourself and The Perfect Pitch, and is presently working on one on the American expatriate experience. You can reach him at david@fsdinternational.org.
Adam Eads | International Programs Officer - East Africa & India
After graduating with a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 2001, Adam spent time traveling and working around Asia. In 2006, he settled in Myanmar and volunteered for a small school and community center in a disadvantaged township near Rangoon. This experience inspired him to return to academia in 2007, where Adam completed his M.A. in Environment and Sustainable Development at the University of Glasgow. In addition to traveling, Adam enjoys reading, cooking, cycling and arguing about politics. You can reach Adam at adam@fsdinternational.org.
Julia Mergendoller | International Programs Officer - Latin America
Julia first visited Latin America during high school on a trip to Costa Rica. This trip sparked a passion for Latin America and sustainable community development that has continued today. Julia attended Wesleyan University and received a B.A. in Latin America Studies. Along with studying abroad in Chile, a highlight of her college years was an FSD internship in Nicaragua. She spent a summer working at a preschool in Jinotepe. As an intern, she earned incredible lessons about grassroots development, Nicaraguan culture, and global systems. Julia built on these lessons after college, when she worked with Amigos de las Americas as a Training Director and Project Director in California, Panama, and Paraguay. Now she is happy to be settled back home in the Bay Area. She spends her time reading, riding her pink bike around San Francisco, and exploring the beautiful state of California. You can reach Julia julia@fsdinternational.org.
Ashley Walton | International Programs Officer - Grants & University Partnerships
Ashley first discovered her passion for International Development in 2005 during a four month volunteer program in East Africa, where she taught English and helped construct a primary school for the Maasai tribe in rural Tanzania. In 2008, she graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in African Area Studies. After graduating, Ashley worked on a new mobile augmented reality application called Point & Find at Nokia. While she enjoyed working in the corporate environment, her desire to work in the developing world led her back to Sierra Leone. She spent seven months there working with a community-based NGO called Advocacy Movement Network. During this time, she started a 10 acre sustainable agriculture project benefiting a rural shelter home for orphaned children. Ashley is currently working towards a career in international development and is taking French classes in the hopes of someday working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Some of her hobbies include rock climbing, triathlons, camping (or anything outdoors), snowboarding and more often than not, losing at Scrabble. You can reach Ashley at awalton@fsdinternational.org.
Max Lucy | Marketing and Communications Coordinator
A native of Bellingham, Washington, Max was fortunate enough to travel to Europe, Costa Rica and South Africa before graduating from high school. In 2009, Max graduated from the University of San Francisco with a B.A. in International Studies with an emphasis on Environment and Development and minors in African Studies and Environmental Science. He spent semesters in Switzerland and Uganda, studying International Relations, Social Justice and Development Studies. While in Uganda, Max spent a significant portion of his time living with communities in the rural foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains while conducting research on community-based conservation. His host families in the Rwenzoris are a few of many who have continuously inspired him over the last six years to pursue a career in International Grassroots Development. Besides continuing to travel, Max hopes to go to graduate school in the future for a degree related to Sustainable Development or Design. His other interests include black and white photography, ceramics, stone wire wrapping, live music, dancing, soccer, skiing, hiking and spending time with friends in both Bellingham and San Francisco. You can reach Max at max@fsdinternational.org.
Barclay Keir | Media and Communications Coordinator
Born and raised in South Carolina, Barclay transitioned into graphic design after graduation from Elon University with a major in Communications. Three years later all of her dreams came true when she packed up her car and drove west to San Francisco. Extensive travel outside of the U.S. has deepened her understanding of the world and its needs, and she hopes that her time at FSD will broaden her skills to become more active in the field. Outside of the office you can most likely find her anywhere but at a computer. You can reach Barclay at barclay@fsdinternational.org.
Diego Rodriguez | Bookkeepr
Diego was born in Montevideo – Uruguay, lived in Argentina, Spain and New York and has recently moved to San Francisco pursuing a career shift into the non-profit world. He graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 2007 with a B.A. in Economics and Applied Mathematics. He is devoted to practicing a sustainable lifestyle by voting with his wallet and controlling his overall impact on the environment. Diego’s career interests include education and implementation of sustainable practices in agroecology, renewable energy and micro-economic development. He enjoys riding his bicycle around San Francisco, playing soccer, live music, travelling and getting creative in the kitchen. You can reach Diego at diego@fsdinternational.org.
Virginia Vicente | Program Director
Born and raised in Salta, Virginia graduated in Law from Cordoba’s National University. In 2001 she moved to Barcelona, where she obtained a master in Development Studies from CIDOB Foundation and the Barcelona Autonomous University. In 2007 she obtained a Descentralized Cooperation Specialization from the European Union-Latin America Decentralized Cooperation Observatory. Till 2007 she worked in Spain, Africa and Brazil with international NGOs like Cooperation Assembly for Peace and Intermon Oxfam, where she get experience in development cooperation, programs and project management. Prior to joining FSD, she was the regional responsable for the Program for the erradication of Child Labour in the north provinces of Argentina. Virginia enjoys reading, doing yoga and travelling.
Jennifer Richardson | International Programs Coordinator
Jennifer graduated from the University of Michigan with a duel degree in history and cultural anthropology with a focus in Latin America. After travels in Latin America including extensive time spent in Chile and Ecuador, and an active interest in a career in community development, in 2008 she began a year long internship with FSD, La Plata. She then joined the FSD site team briefly as an International Program Coordinator for the Stanford Service Learning Tour, winter 2009. After a brief return to the US, her interest and passion for Argentina brought her back independently to live in Cafayate, province of Salta. With FSD’s move to Salta capital, she has been given the opportunity to return to work further with FSD as their International Program Coordinator, Salta. She enjoys riding her motorbike, hiking in the mountains and learning Argentine folklore dances.
Mauricio Ramirez Parra | Program Director
Mauricio has served as the Director of FSD's Bolivia program since it was initiated in 2000. A native Bolivian, Mauricio has extensive experience with the international community. He has been involved with various agricultural and environmental projects and has served as the coordinator for Farmer to Farmer, financed by USAID since 1996, in Cochabamba. In this capacity he supported projects that provided agricultural producers with technical assistance in the areas of beekeeping, livestock, and the production of fruits and vegetables. He is currently the President of Partners of the Americas in Bolivia, an organization that incorporates volunteers from North Carolina and Bolivia. Together, volunteers address the areas of health, agriculture, art and culture, search and rescue, women’s issues, rehabilitation, and justice. Mauricio has experience working with volunteers since 1995.
Nayra Herbas Campos | Local Program Coordinator
Nayra is a native of Cochabamba, Bolivia and FSD's Local Program Coordinator. After she finished her degree in agronomy at the Universidad Mayor de San Simón, she has been working for several years with agriculture associations in the tropics of Cochabamba in beekeeping and creating opportunities for organic produce, overseeing all aspects of the supply chain until a product´s commercialization. During this time, she has helped agriculture associations to find markets for their organic products, and has managed many commercial events promoting honey and organic products in different local and national settings. She has also worked with Farmer to Farmer, a program within Partners of the Americas, working closely with volunteers from North Carolina. Additionally, she is member of the board of the association of table tennis in Cochabamba, was several times Bolivian table-tennis champion, and now trains the next generation of table tennis players in Cochabamba.
Kim Protzel | International Programs Coordinator
is an International Programs Coordinator at FSD. She graduated with a master’s degree in International Studies from the University of San Francisco where her area of focus was Latin America, and also studied at UC Davis with a degree in International Relations and a French minor. While at UC Davis she studied abroad in Rome as well as Cuzco, Peru. After working at the San Francisco office as a programs intern for six months, she chose to pursue the IPC position in Cochabamba. Kim’s interests in NGOs and non-profits began in high school when she first heard of microfinance and microlending as a model for development. On her free time she really enjoys cooking, taking great pictures, completing her Netflix queue (while expanding it exponentially) and exploring the neighborhood.
Smita Sawant | Program Director
Smita worked in the field of economic development and women for 10 years prior to joining FSD. She began her career working with Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a development organization that works with women collectives and rural communities in India. Through SSP, Smita was afforded her first opportunity to work with volunteers from the US and UK. While working in different parts of India, Asia, and Europe, Smita gained experience in international and community development, cross-cultural issues, and the art of facilitating. She has also managed different community development programs in the areas of water and sanitation, microfinance, disaster, health, and education. Smita has received many awards for her achievements working on sex workers projects in Mumbai, India. She holds a post-graduate degree in Sociology and is pursuing a post graduate degree in Human Resource Management from Mumbai University. Smita loves to travel, meet new people, discover new cultures, and indulge in adventure sports.
Madhu Vaishnav | Local Program Coordinator
Born and raised in the Old City of Jodhpur, Madhu joined the site team in the Blue City after years of collaboration with FSD, both as a host mother and a Hindi teacher. Madhu always wanted to start a career as a social worker and she is thrilled to have the opportunity to work full time with FSD as it allows her to follow a dream and to meet new and interesting people along the way. After getting her M.A. in Hindi and History at Jodhpur University, Madhu taught primary school children at the Sri Aurobindo Centre of New Education and spent as much time as she could with her husband and two sons—Gyan (8) and Arnab(5). Madhu-ji, as we call her, has also worked as a translator, even providing subtitles for a Dutch film maker’s documentary about Dalit children in Rajasthan, and a Hindi teacher for foreigners living in Jodhpur. Her understanding of Rajasthani culture and her familiarity with Jodhpur help her solidify FSD’s place in the community, and her ability to teach and translate both Hindi and Marwari—the local dialect spoken in this part of Rajasthan—make her an wonderful addition to FSD’s family in the Blue City.
Sukie Zietz | International Programs Coordinator
Sukie graduated with honors from Mount Holyoke College in 2009 with a BA in Anthropology and a certificate in Culture, Health and Science. She is passionate about multi-disciplinary, innovative, social justice-based approaches to issues in international health and development. After graduating, Sukie spent nine months in Eastern Uganda, six as a FSD intern in Jinja where she worked to develop an income-generating project to help sustain the livelihoods to a group of rural farmers living with HIV/AIDS. Her experience in East Africa exposed her to the complex set of opportunities and challenges that she hopes to commit her life and career to addressing. Sukie enjoys traveling, learning about different cultures, reading and seeking out new music. She is excited to take on the role of Program Coordinator in Jodhpur and immerse herself in the local culture.
Udaipur, India
Roma Bhardwaj | Program Director
Before joining FSD, Roma was the Urban Block Coordinator with the renowned NGO Seva Mandir where she focused on women and children's education, health, and other issues. She has a Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Udaipur University (Mohan Lal Sukhadia University). Roma is originally from Udaipur and has great contacts throughout the city, including within the Allied System (government and NGOs alike). She has one seven year old son, and she enjoys social work, working with interns, talking to people, building relationships, and helping the local community.
Ashutosh Rawat | Local Program Coordinator
Originally from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, Ashutosh has worked in the field of Sales and Marketing for eleven years. Before joining FSD, Ashutosh worked as a Branch Manager with India Infoline Limited, a brokerage firm in Guna, Madhya Pradesh. His interest in development flourished through his wife, who has been involved in this field for eight years. He has a Bachelor of Science degree and is currently pursuing his MBA. He is very excited to join the FSD team and utilize the relationship-building and mediation skills he has developed in his previous jobs. Ashutosh is looking forward to meeting people from different backgrounds, sharing his experiences with them, and making them feel at home in his country.
Peter Khamusali Ingosi | Program Director
Peter has a long and demonstrated commitment to community development. Born and raised in the Shikokho district of Kakamega, Kenya, Peter has more than ten years of experience working with communities at the grassroots level, including public, private, and NGO sectors. He holds a B.S. in Animal Husbandry, a diploma in Sustainable Development, a Masters degree in Community Development. Peter currently serves as a key Advisor to Shikokho Community Development Initiatives, ensuring the ideas and needs of the community are incorporated into the design of each project. Peter has also consulted on numerous community development projects financed by both local and international government agencies as well as NGOs, with projects ranging in focus from microfinance and small business development to human rights, health, education, and quality of life for widows and orphans. Peter is married with three sons and a daughter.
Carolyne Okoit | Local Program Coordinator
Carolyne is 9th in a family of 13 from Teso district, Western Kenya. Carolyne earned a diploma in Purchasing and Supplies from the Kenya Institute of Management, but through her education maintained a love for community work. This interest led her to work for Solar Cooker International where she was able to grow emotionally, socially and intellectually. Although many people remember their first cross-cultural experience as very negative, Solar Cooker was overwhelming because it dealt with a lot of community work within western Kenya that has very diverse groups of people. When she sits back and considers her significant events in the past, the most important aspect of her current life and future goals is to appreciate diversity, especially socioeconomic class lines.
Mombasa, Kenya
George Agarn | Program Director
After attaining his diploma in Community Development and Project Management, George has worked over 12 years with numerous community-based organizations and NGOs to facilitate development solutions and social empowerment. His efforts have made a substantial impact in Mombasa on poverty-related issues brought about by social injustices, among other causes. As a community trainer and counselor, George mobilized people living with HIV to become involved in community-based prevention, care, and support. These initiatives serve to reduce stigma levels and empower vulnerable groups to engage in microenterprise for secure livelihoods. George also volunteers and supervises various community development projects implemented by the Kenya Red Cross Society and Pathfinder International. These projects include HIV & AIDS management, women’s empowerment, and microenterprise development – especially savings mobilization and income generating activities. George is a member of Behavior Change Communication team in Mombasa district where he works closely with youth. He is a strong advocate for human rights and a member of resource tracing team MOHAANET (Mombasa HIV/AIDS Advocacy Network). George is married with two children, a son and a daughter. He also fosters two orphaned children.
Jerusa M. K. Bosire | Local Program Coordinator
Jerusa is driven by the desire to apply skills and competence acquired through college training and previous volunteering experiences to improve the lives of people while positively contributing to the organization’s mission of finding effective solutions to development issues. She is a Sociology graduate who completed her undergraduate studies in December 2004. Upon graduation, she worked with the Kenya Red Cross Society as a volunteer in the Action Team for four months, then joined WOFAK (Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya) as a volunteer counselor and social worker. She has also worked as a part-time lecturer in a local college where she taught an evening Community Development class to diploma students.
Ciara O Connor | International Programs Coordinator
A native of Southern Ireland, Ciara holds a higher degree in Bachelor of Science International Development & Food Policy from University College Cork Ireland, as well as a certificate in counselling and guidance skills. All her life she has had a keen interest in global affairs and has a passion for learning and experiencing new cultures and ways of life. Having first travelled to Kenya in 2007, she developed a strong love for the country, its people and its traditions. She has been returning ever since. Ciara has been working in the area of Public Health in Mombasa since 2009. She worked with an FSD partner organisation that deals primarily with health promotion among commercial sex worker populations in Coast Province. Ciara was also involved in facilitating trainings and seminars that created income-generating activities for vulnerable women. Upon graduation in August 2010, Ciara returned to Mombasa where she began working on behalf of WOFAK “Women Fighting AIDS in Kenya”, in a local district hospital in South Coast Mombasa in a prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV programme. Throughout her experiences in Kenya, Ciara has worked very closely with FSD staff and their interns. She will bring her past experiences as an intern, community development worker and knowledge of Kenyan culture to this position and will strive to ensure that all interns will use their skills to make a positive impact on the communities in which they work. Her time in Kenya has opened her mind to new ways of thinking especially in relation to development. She values the importance of grassroots organisations and capacity building as she has seen first hand the benefits of this community driven approach.
Maria de Jesus Zepeda | Program Director
Licensed social worker and psychologist, Maria has served as FSD's Program Director in Nicaragua since 1998. She is also responsible for the Department of Social Work in the Hospital Ciudad Sandino. One of her functions is increasing attention to and working to prevent domestic violence. She develops projects in the areas of public health and community health, holding workshops in the community of Ciudad Sandino for people such as health educators, midwives, and volunteers that work with projects to prevent diarrhea and malaria. With FSD she is developing projects involving training others on the prevention and attention to domestic violence to health workers in Ciudad Sandino. With the help of FSD volunteers, she is working to help organizations improve the quality of life in Nicaragua.
Karen Lopez | Local Program Coordinator
After graduating from high school in Managua, Karen become a technician in social development. Over the years she has taken several computer and english courses, and she is currently majoring to get a law degree at the UdeM (University of Managua). Karen has experience working with Nueva Ola which is a program to train teachers and students in the prevention of pregnancy in teenagers. Karen helps getting things on time for our workshops and she also keeps the communication with our host families.
Jenna Harvey | International Programs Coordinator
After a 2004 trip to visit the Guaymi Indians of Costa Rica brought her face to face with a community completely different than her own, Jenna developed a passion for learning about different cultures, languages and regions of the world. This interest sparked a desire to pursue a degree in Global and Development Studies in college. In the spring of 2010, after graduating from the University of California at Santa Cruz with honors, Jenna was anxious to gain real world experience in the field of development. She set off to Tola, Nicaragua to serve as an FSD intern with the Nicaraguan NGO, La Casa de La Mujer. During her time as an intern Jenna wrote and received a grant, and collaborated with a group of local women to start a small business, a baking cooperative. She is fascinated with continuing to learn about, and contribute to, the process of achieving sustainable community-based development in an interdisciplinary context. She has a particular interest in Central America, women’s empowerment, and gender dynamics within the informal economy. In her spare time she enjoys reading, riding her bike, going to the beach and dancing, although she has yet to learn to dance as the Nicaraguans do!
Tola, Nicaragua
Ramiro Adoni Rocha Rodríguez | Program Director
Ramiro has been involved with NGOs focused on sustainable community development for the last eleven years and loves his work. Some of these organizations include CEPS, Fundación Nueva Generación, ACSUR, Las Segovias, Médicos del Mundo (Spain), and Save the Children (USA). His educational background includes studies in social work, citizen participation, the environment, community organization, conflict resolution, and education. He has been involved with projects including early childhood education, community health, reproductive health, women's labor rights, citizen participation, youth groups, and other issues. Through FSD, Ramiro hopes to continue contributing to improving the quality of life in local Nicaraguan communities.
Steve Merritt | International Programs Coordinator
Steve has started several small businesses and been self-employed for many years. He has over 20 years experience consulting with small businesses and volunteering with non-profits. He has a BA in linguistics and an MBA, both from the University of Michigan, with additional graduate coursework in journalism and social work. Steve served as a FSD intern in 2011 in the small town of Limon 2 near Tola, where he worked to strengthen a bakery, to create more interaction between the local and foreign communities, and helped start a library. He is especially interested in the areas of microenterprise and community development, particularly as they affect prospects for women and support broader community viability. He has studied Spanish in Mexico and Costa Rica and traveled in several other Latin American countries. Steve is from Michigan and has two daughters in college. He enjoys learning languages, reading, hiking, sailing, and cultural travel.
Margaret Nassozi Amanyire | Program Director
Margaret is a development worker with more than a decade’s experience working with communities on social development. She began her career as a Government Civil Servant with the Ministry of Gender and Community Development in Uganda, where she worked with Culture, Women, and Youth. She later worked as District Community Development Officer in Western Uganda. She has since been working as Coordinator for a Civil Society network organization and has done consultancy work with the European Union and CARE International. She has facilitated the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of both strategic and action plans for Civil Society Organizations. Margaret is the holder of a Bachelor of Development Studies, the Commonwealth Diploma in Youth and Development, and a Diploma in Music Dance and Drama. She is married to Dr. Gideon Amanyire and has two sons aged 17 and 15 as well as several adopted children.
Jonan Nandolo | Local Program Coordinator
Jonan majored in Public Administration and Management at Nkumba University Uganda and holds a Bachelor’s in Social Sciences. Before becoming a Program Coordinator, Jonan worked with Apas consultancy firm as a Research Assistant in health insurance policies, youth, and education before joining Plan International as a volunteer in human resource management. Through Plan International, Jonan developed a love for children by meeting kids from different backgrounds within the local communities. Jonan also worked with VEDCO (Volunteer Effort for Development Concerns) as a Research Assistant in sustainable agriculture farming and produce. He loves entrepreneurship, meeting people from different lifestyles, listening to music, traveling, cooking, and watching movies.
Caroline Fruth | International Programs Coordinator
Caroline graduated in three years as a sociology major with honors from the University of San Francisco. Originally from Yosemite, California, she loves to hike, camp and explore new places while munching on her favorite snack--sour candy! In high school she traveled to Antigua, Guatemala and delighted in the experience of living with a host family and becoming immersed in another culture. Throughout the past few years living in the lively and diverse city of San Francisco, Caroline has enjoyed indulging in delectable food, participating in a half-marathon and pursuing her passion for working with youth. As an Advocate for Community Engagement for two years, she led her peers as a liaison between the student body and a local non-profit. The summer before her graduation, Caroline received a scholarship through her university to intern with FSD in Jinja. During her time there she worked with WORI, Women Rights Initiative, where she facilitated training workshops and learned from an amazing community of women. She is passionate about the rights of women and children, and the challenges and importance of sustainable development. Caroline is thrilled to return to Jinja where she first fell in love with Krest soda!
Masaka, Uganda
Anita Sempa | Program Director
Anita holds a Masters of Science Degree in Extension for Natural Resource Based Livelihoods from Reading University in UK and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Makerere University, Kampala Uganda. She is a linguist, speaking majority of the languages spoken in Uganda while also speaking and writing English, French Kiswahili, and Russian. Anita has experience in Rural and International Development since 1992 working with grassroots communities. She also has extensive experience in communication and management skills for Rural Development, with strong mobilization skills. Over the course of her career, she has been involved in various media activities geared towards reaching rural communities through appropriate media. Anita has engaged in various projects dealing with environmental conservation, water and sanitation improvement, and agro-business, and was active in HIV/AIDS education regarding prevention and stigma reduction. She enjoys working with people from varied cultural backgrounds, and she has a keen interest in governance policy development, women emancipation and equity. Anita was a Board Member of several organizations, including the Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA) and Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association (UWEAL), and she is a Life Member of the Uganda Red Cross Society. Additionally, she was the Founder of the Rural Integrated Development Organization (RIDO). Anita’s hobbies include dancing, cooking and gardening.
Mariam Jjuuko | Local Program Coordinator
Mariam attended Lowell Girls School in Kampala, where she completed Advanced Level studies and hopes to continue on to University to study Law in Development. While at Lowell, Mariam was President of the Writer's Club as well as a member of the basketball and netball teams. One of her proudest moments during school was being involved with the environmental campaign in Kampala where she planted 50 trees in neighboring communities. Mariam has been a volunteer for FSD for the past three years and is looking forward to taking on a more substantial role with the organization.
Interns and Volunteers
Evan Coller is a marketing and communications intern at FSD. After recently graduating from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in business, Evan is eager to apply his knowledge of business marketing and social development towards a sustainable future. He plans on working with FSD to establish a common goal between non-profit organizations and the private sector through the lens of sustainability. A native of Marin County, Evan sees his work with FSD as a valuable opportunity to put a positive stamp on the Bay Area community. You can often find him enjoying the beaches and trails of West Marin, engaging in eclectic cultural events in San Francisco and excelling as a baseball player and coach on the weekends.
Aryn Shelander is passionate about understanding people and designing interactions that increase our sense of well being. At FSD she will be lending a hand in graphic design and communications. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2011 with a degree in Cognitive Design. Aryn created this major to combine Cognitive Science with Human Centered Design to develop both an outside-in and inside-out understanding of how we relate to our world. Within the world of design she has an invested interest in two main areas. The first is community building, which she as directed towards building programs at the International House at Berkeley and the Jewish Community. Her second focus in the the field of design, is inspiring active living. Through the design of work spaces, chairs and walking-centered cities, she believes we can lead happier, healthier lives.
Marcello Godcharles is an International Programs Intern at FSD. Marcello graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara in 2010 with a B.A. in Global Studies. During the course of his studies, he spent a year abroad at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain. After graduation, he moved to El Salvador and worked at the Salvadoran Foundation for Health and Human Development as a Fundraising Analyst. His experience in El Salvador sparked an interest in international development that led him to join FSD in San Francisco. Marcello’s other interests include reading, photography, and Spanish food.
Konrad Mathesius is a communications intern at FSD. After graduating with a BS in political science from Utah State University, Konrad worked in the South Korean countryside as an English teacher. In 2008 he received his master’s degree in Asian studies from the Australian National University. He rode his bike from Urumqi to Istanbul in 2009 and later returned to Central Asia to work as a program development and evaluation officer with the Eurasia Foundation in Tajikistan. In his spare time he contributes to NKnews.org and edits for the Asia Plus Media Group. He enjoys cyclo-cross racing, rock climbing, swimming, languages, food and travel.
Andressa Miguez is an international programs intern at FSD. Her family has been running Lar da Irma Celeste (LIC) since 1940. LIC is a nonprofit that offers full-time education to at-risk children, as well as work training and entrepreneurial skills to women from several shantytowns in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After six years coordinating their development department while participating as a member of the Political Action Committee of the Abrinq Foundation, she became a board member at LIC to enhance the strategic leadership. Andressa holds a B.A. in Marketing and Communication and she is currently a graduate student at the Nonprofit Administration Program at the University of San Francisco. Her goal is to build a career as an international nonprofit manager; so while Andressa is interning at FSD, she is also helping a Kenyan grassroots organization to raise funds and a meditation center to organize events. Yoga, meditation, travelling, photography, sports, films, languages, philanthropy and psychology are among her main interests.
Suzannah Hiza is a communications intern at FSD. She graduated from Georgetown University in 2011 with a major in Government and a minor in Italian, and a desire to work in international development. Her interest in working internationally arose from a year studying abroad in Italy during high school, and another six months spent working in Italy between high school and college, while her interest in international development grew out of these and other travels, as well as her international relations courses at Georgetown. Suzannah has worked as an international programs intern at the National Conference for State Legislatures, and as a programs intern at Dreams for Kids, both in Washington DC.
Suzannah plans to return to school and obtain a masters in international development, after spending some time gaining hands on experience with amazing organizations like FSD. In her free time, she enjoys biking, sewing, cooking, and planning her next overseas adventure.
Stephanie Easton is a graphic design intern at FSD. Stephanie's passion for exploring world cultures through art and architecture grew out of a study abroad experience in Rome during the spring of 2006. She was inspired to pursue a degree in Art History at UCLA with a focus in the design of 18th century Chinese and English gardens. In the summer of 2011 she traveled to the historic Chinese city of Suzhou to visit Liu Garden as part of a larger journey through China, Indonesia, Australia, and Fiji. In addition to travel, Stephanie enjoys painting with watercolor, playing the guitar, and spending time in nature. Experienced in architectural drawing, model making, and graphic design, Stephanie is excited to contribute her creative skills to the field of nonprofit sustainable development.
Samera Edwards is the Executive Assistant Intern for FSD. She will be directly supporting FSD’s Executive Director to strengthen current operations and programs, as well continue to expand into a new program region, and new fundraising opportunities. Currently a student at San Francisco State University, Samera is pursuing a BA in International Relations with a focus in economic development. Samera volunteered for a summer in Ethiopia with an organization that supported providing basic needs for orphans and widows. As a result of this experience, and other programs through the course of her studies, Samera is passionate about the possibilities that organizations and programs can achieve and contribute to sustainable development in their communities.
Liam McGarrity is a communications intern at FSD. He is the youngest member of FSD’s team and is currently a student at Fenwick High School in Chicago, where he works remotely with the communications team to improve social media efforts. Liam is currently planning on volunteering in Latin America, looking to continue to learn about community-based development and youth empowerment. Outside of his work with FSD Liam enjoys snowboarding, playing golf, and spending time with friends.
Onur Kaya is FSD's SalesForce Guru. He loves playing soccer and his hometown of Istanbul, Turkey. Onur lives in Istanbul and continues to help FSD virtually.